Pornhub Blocks Florida Access Over New Age Verification Law
The decision comes as Florida enacts stringent identification requirements for adult website access, raising privacy and free speech concerns.
- Pornhub will block Florida users starting January 1, 2025, in protest of the state’s new age verification law requiring government ID for access to adult websites.
- The law, HB3, aims to protect minors by mandating anonymous or standard age verification for content deemed harmful to minors, with fines of up to $50,000 for noncompliance.
- Critics, including Pornhub’s parent company Aylo and the Free Speech Coalition, argue the law jeopardizes user privacy and pushes traffic to unregulated platforms with fewer safety measures.
- The Free Speech Coalition has filed a federal lawsuit against the law, citing privacy risks and potential censorship, while Florida officials defend the measure as necessary for child protection.
- Similar laws have led Pornhub to block access in other states, with reported traffic drops of up to 80% and increased use of VPNs to bypass restrictions.
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